Styles of Beyond

Last updated
Styles of Beyond
Also known asS.O.B.
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1994–2009
  • 2012–2017
Labels
Members
  • Takbir Bashir (Tak)
  • Ryan Patrick Maginn (Ryu)
  • Colton Raisin Fisher (DJ Cheapshot)
  • Jason Rabinowitz (Vin Skully, Jubacca)

Styles of Beyond was an American underground hip hop group from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The group consists of MCs Ryan Patrick Maginn (Ryu) and Takbir Bashir (Tak), Colton Raisin Fisher (DJ Cheapshot), and producer Jason Rabinowitz (Vin Skully). They have released two LPs, one mixtape and were heavily featured on Mike Shinoda's Fort Minor project in 2005. At one point they were also signed to Shinoda's Machine Shop Recordings label, although they left the label in late 2008. They are also heavily associated with the underground rap group Demigodz which features similar underground artists such as Apathy, Celph Titled, and 7L & Esoteric.

Contents

History

Early years (1994–2004)

SOB Insignia Styles of Beyond's official logo-- 2013-07-29 21-23.jpg
SOB Insignia

After making some pre-Ryu demos on a 4-track cassette recorder, [1] Styles of Beyond started making appearances on Sway & King Tech's The Wake Up Show, a hip hop radio program featuring established and up-and-coming rappers. In the late 1990s, the group met longtime collaborator and friend Mike Shinoda, who would later become the co-creator and co-vocalist of Linkin Park. [2] The group eventually released two independent studio albums, 2000 Fold (1998), and Megadef (2003).

Machine Shop/Warner Bros. era (2005–2008)

Styles of Beyond was later announced by Shinoda to feature on his solo hip hop record under the name Fort Minor, The Rising Tied , which was released on November 22, 2005. The group appeared on seven songs on the album, and appeared on the album's singles "Remember the Name" and "Believe Me". The group joined Fort Minor on tour in promotion of the album. [2] After touring for The Rising Tied, Styles of Beyond was signed onto Shinoda's label Machine Shop Recordings, as well as its parent label Warner Bros. Records, their first major label. [2] The group was later added to the lineup of Linkin Park's 2007 Projekt Revolution tour, featured on the Revolution Stage.

Styles of Beyond released a mixtape on July 31, 2007, entitled Razor Tag , presented and mixed by DJ Green Lantern. Razor Tag was the group's first release under Machine Shop and Warner Bros. The group completed their third studio album, Reseda Beach , with announced guest rappers RZA, Apathy, Celph Titled, Sixx John, and Mike Shinoda. The album was produced by the group, as well as Shinoda, J Dilla and Scoop DeVille. [2] One of the album's songs, "Second to None", which features Shinoda, was included in the soundtrack of the 2007 film Transformers . "Second to None" was also featured in promos for the television shows Prison Break and K-Ville , as well as the trailer for the 2008 film You Don't Mess with the Zohan . The group also made a cameo appearance in the music video for "We Made It" by Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park, which was released on April 29, 2008.

Departure from Machine Shop, hiatus and solo projects (2008–2011)

On September 25, 2008, Styles of Beyond released their contract with Machine Shop Recordings with full ownership of their Reseda Beach record, which they plan to release under Dirty Version Records, which was manned by close friends and Demigodz members Apathy and Celph Titled. Reseda Beach served as the first release of Dirty Version. [3] Since 2008, Ryu, Apathy and Scoop DeVille formed a new rap group by the name of the "Get Busy Committee". they released their first album "Uzi Does It" on October 27, 2009. Tak has also formed a solo group along with singer Josy B called "Ribkat" (which is "Takbir" spelled backwards, Takbir Bashir being Tak's real name). They plan on releasing an album entitled Theory of Addicts in December 2009.

Ryu stated recently in an interview with LPLive that the current status of Styles of Beyond is unknown. in the interview he stated "The Warner thing I think mentally exhausted everybody, I think it was just time to do something fresh and new. Business wise and creatively. The status of the group is unknown at this point. It just felt like we were beating a dead horse after a while." [4]

Reseda Beach and inactivity (2012–present)

Recently, during a fan chat, Ryu revealed that a completed version of Reseda Beach exists. [5] The first track from Reseda Beach leaked in early September 2012, named "Damn" and featuring guest vocals from fellow Warner Bros. recording artist Michael Bublé. [6] Reseda Beach was eventually available for pre-order on the Demigodz store in the same month, including the track "The Pirate Song" on SoundCloud. [2] The album was released on October 23, 2012. [7]

In November 2014, Ryu tweeted that Styles of Beyond is still active and, along with Divine Styler, will be undertaking a Canadian tour. [8]

In 2015, Fort Minor released a new single entitled "Welcome" in which Ryu has a cameo appearance in the music video.

In November 2017, Ryu tweeted a screenshot of a conversation with Tak with the duo planning another album. [9] The album never materialized, however, and the group has made no further announcements of any kind.

Appearances/remixes

The Megadef track "Superstars" was featured in the games WWE Day of Reckoning , WWE SmackDown vs. RAW , WWE WrestleMania 21 , Grant Mohrman did a remix of the track called "Nine Thou" which was featured in the games Need for Speed: Most Wanted , Stuntman: Ignition, "Score International Baja 1000", on the film Real Steel , and on the TV show Prison Break . However, the song cut out its dirty lyrics and replaced them with words connected to the games. The song "Subculture" (from the unreleased album Terraform) was featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and its subsequent remake Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 . Styles of Beyond collaborated with Celldweller for a track entitled "Shapeshifter" which appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Redline and also Need for Speed: Most Wanted .

The track "Underground Sound" is an opening soundtrack for the first set of Aggressive inline skating tricks in "VG12: Battle My Crew” 1999 skate video.

Styles of Beyond has collaborated with SpyTech artists: Lexicon, Sandman, 4-Zone, and Divine Styler. They have also collaborated with: Awol One, The Crystal Method, and Ryu and Tak performed "Points of Authority" live with Linkin Park in 2001 at the House of Blues.

On December 17, 2007, it was revealed that DJ Cheapshot and Vin Skully had been chosen and hired to complete the entire score for the upcoming A&E original series L.A. Gang Unit, which was slated for an April 2008 release, but has yet to be released. DJ Cheapshot opened his own bar called Cheapshot's, which is located in Long Beach, California. Ryu was featured along with Bishop Lamont on the track "Dirty Girl Part 2" by Rob Dyrdek (Bobby Light). This song is available on iTunes and was performed with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in Las Vegas. It also was featured on Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory .

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Shinoda</span> American musician (born 1977)

Michael Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and is the band's co-lead vocalist, as well as rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, primary songwriter and producer. Shinoda later created a hip-hop-driven side project, Fort Minor, in 2004. He has also served as a producer for tracks and albums by artists such as Lupe Fiasco, Styles of Beyond, and the X-Ecutioners.

Second to None may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Minor</span> Hip hop side project of Mike Shinoda

Fort Minor was a hip hop side project by American musician Mike Shinoda, who is better known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and rapper of the rock band Linkin Park. The project's only album, The Rising Tied, was released in 2005. The album's fourth single "Where'd You Go" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>The Rising Tied</i> 2005 studio album by Fort Minor

The Rising Tied is the only studio album by Fort Minor, the hip hop side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005, through Warner Bros. Records and Shinoda's label Machine Shop Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Believe Me (Fort Minor song)</span> 2005 single by Fort Minor

"Believe Me" is a song by American hip hop musician Fort Minor, the side project of rock band Linkin Park's lead vocalist Mike Shinoda. It was the third US and first international single from Fort Minor's debut album, The Rising Tied (2005), and was released on November 14, 2005. The track features hip hop group Styles of Beyond and Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apathy (rapper)</span> American rapper

Chad Aaron Bromley, better known by his stage name Apathy, is a rapper and producer from Willimantic, Connecticut.

<i>2000 Fold</i> 1998 studio album by Styles of Beyond

2000 Fold is the debut studio album by Los Angeles underground rap group Styles of Beyond, which was released on Bilawn Records on August 18, 1998, and re-released on August 24, 1999, on SpyTech Records. This album was only released in an "edited version", whereas Megadef was only released in an "explicit version". 2000 Fold was out of print for several years, and was then only available as a download via iTunes and Amazon. In July 2007, it was made available once again in CD format, on both the Projekt Revolution and SpyTech Records official web-stores.

<i>Megadef</i> 2003 studio album by Styles of Beyond

Megadef is the second album by Los Angeles underground rap group Styles of Beyond, which was released on Spytech Records on September 9, 2003, after their 1998 installment 2000 Fold. The album's title is a reference to the Hebrew term megadef (מגדף) - which refers to the violation of Jewish law committed by cursing the sacred name of God - and a portmanteau of the name of the band Megadeth with those of bands/labels/artists such as Def Leppard, Mos Def, and Def Jam Records. Megadef was released only in an "explicit version" and was available as a download via iTunes and Amazon. The album was produced by the group members DJ Cheapshot and Vin Skully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remember the Name</span> 2005 single by Fort Minor featuring Styles of Beyond

"Remember the Name" is a song by Fort Minor, the hip hop side project of rock band Linkin Park's co-lead vocalist Mike Shinoda. It is the second single from his 2005 album The Rising Tied and features underground hip hop band Styles of Beyond. It was released alongside the album's first single, "Petrified". A music video for the song was directed by Kimo Proudfoot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machine Shop Records</span>

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DJ Cheapshot is the DJ of the hip hop ensemble Styles of Beyond, Get Busy Committee, and Fort Minor. He is also associated with the Demigodz and the Get Busy Committee, as well as being the founder of SpyTech Records, which is located in Reseda, Los Angeles, and formally owned the Cheapshot's bar, which is located in Long Beach, California under new ownership as the Stache. He is the COO of Grammy-nominated music production camp The Math Club, which creates custom music for film and television with music supervision partner Dave Jordan. Cheapshot currently resides in Burbank, California.

<i>Reseda Beach</i> 2012 studio album by Styles of Beyond

Reseda Beach is Los Angeles underground rap group Styles of Beyond's third studio album, as well as their fourth project, released on Dirty Version Records in 2012 after their 2007 installment Razor Tag. Reseda Beach was digitally released on October 23, 2012, that is available on iTunes. The album was produced by Fort Minor rapper and Linkin Park co-vocalist Mike Shinoda. In every digital version of the album, there's a bonus track for disc 2 named "Godz in the Front", also from Razor Tag and taken from the second volume of Apathy's compilation album collection It's the Bootleg, Muthafuckas!.

The discography of the hip hop group Styles of Beyond.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demigodz</span> American hip hop group

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<i>The Gatalog: A Collection of Chaos</i> 2006 studio album by Celph Titled

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<i>MTV VMA Score 2005</i> 2005 soundtrack album / EP by Mike Shinoda and Lil Jon

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References

  1. ↑ Styles of Beyond - Penelope's Melon (Demo) Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine SoundCloud
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Shinoda, Mike (27 September 2012). "Fort Minor Fans: The Album You Thought You'd Never Hear". WordPress. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Ryu reveals S.O.B's departure from Warner/Machine Shop". Archived from the original on 2009-07-03. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  4. ↑ Linkin Park Live: Interview with Ryu Archived 2013-01-16 at the Wayback Machine . Lplive.net. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
  5. ↑ http://pics.lockerz.com/s/128991737%5B%5D
  6. ↑ Casteel, Jay (14 September 2012). "Styles Of Beyond Announces Release Date For Long-Delayed 'Reseda Beach' LP". BallerStatus. Complex . Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Fort Minor Fans: The Album You Thought You'd Never Hear". MikeShinoda.com. September 27, 2012. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Ryu's Official Twitter Account - "Bout to make this Styles Of Beyond / Divine Canada tour happen!"". November 12, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Ryu's Official Twitter Account - "Styles of Beyond back in the House!"". November 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
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